


The Thought that Counts

by flaming_muse



Series: Reality Bends [1]
Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: April Showers Challenge, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-26
Updated: 2004-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-18 09:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/187648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flaming_muse/pseuds/flaming_muse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike brings home a Christmas present for Wesley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Thought that Counts

**Author's Note:**

> set in the [Reality Bends](http://reality-bends.livejournal.com/) 'verse, which goes AU after AtS 5x07 - this story is set after the main RPG story, which isn't required reading
> 
> for wesleysgirl
> 
> Originally posted to my LJ on December 26, 2004.

Spike watched Wesley's gift with some suspicion from across the room. The gift watched back for a moment before blithely lifting her paw to her mouth and proceeding to give it a thorough cleaning with her little pink tongue.

The cat still had the gangly frame of youth, but she had already perfected the air of disdain instinctive to her species. As she washed her ginger fur, she paid as little attention to Spike as she did the bed upon which she was sitting.

"Look, we should come to a truce, you and me," Spike said after a while from his position leaning against the bedroom door. "You don't claw me, and I won't bet you on a pair of twos."

The cat barely flicked her ear in Spike's direction.

"We'll call it even on the scratches today," Spike continued, looking down at the nearly healed marks on his hand. "No hard feelings. I wouldn't like being bounced about in a little box by a running, smoking vampire, myself, but it was either that or you sitting in the box in the middle of the sidewalk next to a big pile of dust."

Something in that statement caught the cat's attention, and she paused in her bath to fix her amber eyes on Spike with some interest.

"Don't get any ideas," he said. "It's better here than in that little cage, isn't it? Nasty things, cages. Never big enough."

The cat just blinked at him, and Spike looked down for a second.

"All right, I'm sorry about the bow. It's just Christmas Eve and all, and you're his big present, so..."

He trailed off as the cat continued to stare.

Spike sighed. "Right. Doesn't matter if we get on, not really. It's about making Wes happy. That's why you're here. You keep him smiling, give him someone warm to cuddle up to for a change, and we'll be fine." He paused to let his demonic guise come forward. His fanged smile was anything but friendly. "You try to take over _my_ place, though, and we'll have a problem."

The cat looked singularly unimpressed.

Resuming his human face, Spike warned, "He's got the power to chuck both of us out, but you'll go before I do."

He wondered if the cat could tell that he wasn't _entirely_ sure of that fact, because she settled down into a more comfortable position on the blankets and closed her eyes partway in an expression that could only be described as pleased.

"The bird at the shelter said you're independent but friendly once you get to know someone. Loyal. A good companion. That's what Wes needs." Spike's voice got softer, warmer as he continued, "And he's definitely worth knowing. Be nice to him, and he'll treat you like you're the best thing in the world."

The cat's response was to close her eyes more, and Spike took that as a sign that she was content with her new situation. He slowly pushed away from the door and walked toward the bed.

"So no more scratching, right?" Spike asked.

When he extended his hand, the cat leaned forward and gave it a thorough sniffing. There was none of the ear-splitting yowling of earlier in the day, though, and before Spike pulled back his hand she bestowed a single rough lick on his finger.

"I'm not your dinner," he protested as he rubbed at the abraded spot.

The cat simply shut her eyes completely and nestled further into the covers.

Spike watched her for a moment, a unconscious smile playing about his lips. "Just so we're clear."

When he went into the other room to put the lights on the tree, he shut the door quietly. Not so that he wouldn't disturb the cat as she slept, he told himself. He just didn't feel like being loud.


End file.
